U-boat patrols

Patrol info for U-74

Date lookup for 23 Apr 1942


DepartureArrival / FateDuration
23 Apr 1942La Spezia2 May 1942Lost10 days

Commander

Officers *


Oblt. Karl Friederich

Patrol description

The boat was ordered to operate against enemy aircraft carriers that entered the Western Mediterranean from Gibraltar to launch fighter aircraft for Malta.

In the afternoon on 1 May, U-573 was badly damaged during an air attack and called for help. U-74 left its operational area to assist and was en route unsuccessfully attacked by HMS Unbroken at 22.22 hours. No contact was made with the U-boat in distress during the night, which reached the port of Cartagena in neutral Spain under own power the next morning. However, a Catalina flying boat still searching for the crippled U-boat located U-375 during the afternoon on 2 May and its sighting report brought two British destroyers to the scene, which searched the area and located and sank the nearby U-74 while U-375 escaped.


U-74's position on 23 Apr 1942

Ships hit by U-74 on this date

General Events during this patrol

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Attacks on U-74 during this patrol

We have no recorded attacks on U-74 on this date (prior to its loss).

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* These are officers that later became commanders themselves.

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